Those who know me already know, but I want each and every one of you to know and hear what happened to me, and to my friends who will never be able to tell this story.
Nahal Oz was my home away from home for almost two years. The base, the kibbutz, the best [military] service I could ever wish for, with amazing friends I thought would stay with me for life. Until Saturday of October 7, 2023.
We woke up at 06:00 to the sound of explosions. Though I had experienced escalations and operations before, something felt wrong, out of the ordinary. I ran out barefooted to the concrete barricade with the rest of the girls, wearing a bra and pajamas shorts. The booms would not let up. We sat there until one of the tracker [soldiers] asked us to stay close to the wall. Suddenly he received a phone call informing him of an infiltration. He ran, and we remained there - frozen with panic - not knowing what was going to come.
We heard yells of “Raid! Raid!” on the army base PA system and understood that terrorists had infiltrated. In my worst nightmares I couldn’t have imagined such a number of terrorists getting into the army base. We began hearing gunshots. At first the battle sounded far away, but got closer and closer. The crossfire stopped and the shots came from one side only - the side of the terrorists. I realized, they’re here.
"The shots came at us, at the barricade, blasts of bullets with no break between them; they shot grenades, and we weren’t armed, other than the female combat soldiers of the Sky Rider Unit, who did everything they could and opened fire."
The shots came at us, at the barricade, blasts of bullets with no break between them; they shot grenades, and we weren’t armed, other than the female combat soldiers of the Sky Rider Unit, who did everything they could and opened fire. There was smoke everywhere and I couldn’t see anything. The gunshots didn’t let up for a second.
Miraculously, I escaped the barricade and ran like I’d never run in my life. I didn't look back, realizing that I probably wouldn’t be able to face what’s behind me.
I managed to enter one of the rooms with a few other girls. I was covered in blood and couldn't tell which was mine and which wasn’t. We lay on the ground, listening to them killing and destroying my home. There was no one left to fight them. I lay on the floor helpless, scared and terrified to my very soul, and prayed like I never had before, pleading to be saved, asking my father for a miracle to keep me alive, praying for the girls in the operations room, that they [the terrorists] wouldn’t reach them.
For hours we lay on the ground, none of us speaking or even breathing. praying to hear Hebrew, praying to hear sounds of a battle... To know someone was fighting them.
But there were no battle sounds, only voices, singing and dancing as they murdered all the people I love. There was no one to call, no reception, no network, no electricity. Frankly the only thing we could do was pray.
"My home, my safe place, had become a graveyard."
Girls peed themselves due to fear and anxiety. Twice, they tried to break into our room!! They knew we were there and broke the windows to throw in a grenade. Thanks to a miracle, the air force attacked from the sky and they fled. For hours, we lay under a broken window they could see us through, and we survived!
Suddenly we heard Hebrew. God had sent angels to save me - combat soldiers of the Paratroopers Reconnaissance Unit came and asked if anyone was inside. We couldn't believe it. At first we thought the terrorists were tricking us. But no, they were there to rescue us.
"We opened the door with shaking hands. I will never forget the sight that awaited me outside that room. My home, my safe place, had become a graveyard. "
We opened the door with shaking hands. I will never forget the sight that awaited me outside that room. My home, my safe place, had become a graveyard.
There was smoke everywhere, and flames too. And blood. So much blood. My friends' blood. The number of bodies was beyond comprehension.
My heart broke and will never be whole again. But I will grow stronger through this. We will avenge the cruel murder of my friends.
I thank God in heaven for the miracle I experienced and for my second chance at life. Appreciate and and love your loved ones. You can’t ever know what tomorrow will bring.
Eden B.
